The Return of Charlie Evans
by Susan Hilton
Summary: Charlie Evans, the memorable and unfortunate character from the original Star Trek, joins the Q continuum and is on the run from them, after deciding he wants to be free. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

The Return of Charlie Evans

Chapter One

The telepathic security officer Lieutenant Tola sat quietly beside the enigmatic shape shifter named Odo as he guided the shuttle craft Galileo III to Deep Space Nine, where the Enterprise-D was docked. To the young Andorian woman, the massive dark gray structure resembled an upturned arachnid on a mirror, missing a few legs. She was both anxious and disappointed. She was anxious because she was coming back up from Bajor after a short two-day furlough, and could not wait to get back to the Enterprise-D. It was not that she didn't like the planet. It was beautiful. She was just eager to get back to work. Her last adventure on Gamma Trianguli Six had been exhilarating and she wondered what was in store for her and her new shipmates next. She was very glad that the Metrons had decided to heal Miss Gomez of her injuries suffered when the sabotaged transporter console exploded. That was the reason the Enterprise was now docked at the station, to make necessary repairs on the mechanism.

She was disappointed because she could not read the shape shifter telepathically. Tola was a rare Andorian telepath, her ability coming from her sensitive antennae. She was able to pick up minute electrical impulses from most minds.

Odo, sensing the alien woman's eyes on him, turned his head to face her.

"You don't talk much." He observed flatly.

"No, sir." Tola answered with a frown. "I generally only speak when I have something to say."

"Hmmm. You are a bit like the Vulcans and a little like me." He observed with a tight semblance of a smile. "We are almost there." He added a bit needlessly. "Captain Sisko has wanted to meet you."

"And I, him." Tola answered honestly. She studied his expression. She rather enjoyed reserved people like Odo. The alien had an outward demeanor she found charming. "You are a shape shifter?"

"I thought you didn't like small talk." Odo replied, a little amused.

"My interest, sir, is merely curiosity. I have never encountered a being like you before."

"Nor I like you."

Suddenly, to Tola's left, there was a flash of light. A rather smug-looking humanoid being appeared between them. The intruder was dressed in a Starfleet uniform, with four pips on his collar. Odo sighed deeply, recognizing the being.

Tola, unsure whether the new arrival was really a Starfleet officer or just an impersonator, and, not knowing his intentions, felt for her holstered phaser at her side. To her astonishment, she found they had vanished. As a general rule, Andorians were fierce efficient fighters; a warrior race almost equal to Klingons, but, at this moment, she felt completely helpless. The being was effectively shielding his thoughts from her. She glared at the entity.

"Who are you?" She asked sharply.

"I am the Q, you little dolt." He looked at Odo. "Not too bright, is she?"

"She's never met you before, you Regulan blood worm. Isn't that obvious?"

"Tsk, tsk. I just assumed that your people told all your little friends all about me by now."

"Why would we bother, Q?"

"Odo, that's enough." Tola said uncomfortably. She addressed the intruder warily. "Why are you here?"

The being who called himself Q was examining his cuticles.

"If I were talking to Picard, I would say I was here to pester you and the crew until you couldn't stand me anymore."

"Why stop there, Q?" Odo growled, annoyed. "You have bothered people until you almost drove them crazy."

"A point well taken, Odo. Actually, I'm here to tell little girl blue here about her next adventure. It seems that there is a renegade former human on the loose that we must capture and dispose of. He is a very dangerous individual from the twenty-third century named Charles Evans. "

Tola paused in thought for a moment. She had never heard of Evans, and neither had Odo.

"You say this individual was once human? Why is he considered so dangerous, and why do you want to kill him?"

"More importantly, why should we care about some guy from the last century?" Odo asked.

"You have never heard of this man?" Q asked in surprise.

"I think that is obvious." Tola said dryly.

"All right. I will tell you the story about a family of humans who crash-landed on Thasus, with just a single survivor, their three-year old son. He was given Thasian powers and was raised by them. He escaped the planet when he was an adolescent and wreaked havoc on the original Enterprise, only to be recaptured by the Thasians. When he reached adulthood, he was offered the opportunity to become a Q. He gladly accepted, but didn't want to obey us. He escaped and is still at large."

"So, you want to kill him just because he didn't want to work for you?" Odo asked.

"No, Odo. Like I said before, he has both Thasian and Q powers. That makes him very dangerous, considering that he is also quite mentally unbalanced. We just want to put him out of his misery."


	2. Chapter 2

The Return of Charlie Evans—Chapter 2

The Q vanished as quickly and mysteriously as he had arrived, and the shuttle docked without further incident. Tola found it unconscionable that the Q wanted to kill a man just because he didn't want to work for them and probably just wanted to be free. 'Putting him out of his misery' was something you did to a sick animal, not a sentient being. Odo saw the pensive look on her face but did not pry. He wordlessly guided the security officer through the pressurized airlock and into the space station, which was bustling with activity. The young alien woman quietly scanned her surroundings, recognizing the architecture as Cardassian. Like many other such structures, this one was Spartan and gloomy, but the atmosphere of the place was so cheerful that the security officer almost lost sight of her shape shifter guide.

"Go right in, Lieutenant." He instructed her flatly. "The two captains are expecting you."

He left her standing there without a backward glance, and, she observed, with some alacrity. She knew why. Andorian women possessed a potent hormone which repelled would-be suitors, or other beings that happened to get too close. It didn't work on everyone, including, thankfully, humans. The doors to Captain Sisko's office were already open. She saw that Sisko and her new captain Picard were seated at Sisko's desk. She found human males to be fairly likable, even though on her planet they were considered a bit backward. Their attitudes towards the females of their species had changed so radically in the last century that she often wondered if they still thought that Andorians just enslaved Orion females. When Andor was first contacted almost two centuries before, human males would not let their females command star ships or do other traditionally male (traditional on Earth, not Andor) tasks. It was true that her people enslaved Orions, but they had enslaved both sexes for centuries.

"Lieutenant Tola, I presume." Sisko greeted pleasantly, as both men stood. "Welcome to Deep Space Nine."

"Thank you, sir. Captain Picard, I have to tell you about an unexpected visitor to the Galileo III shuttlecraft. The strange being who called himself Q told me about some strange former human."

"Oh, yes, the Q." Picard said. "We…I mean I…have had dealings with him. However, Lieutenant, this is no place to discuss him. Something of great historical importance has been discovered on an obscure planet called Thasus. Being one of our new security officers, you understand the importance of keeping this as quiet as possible."

"Agreed, sir. However, this Q person seems to have a big mouth. I would like to know more about the person they want to dispose of. It might prove useful."

"All the information about this individual has been uploaded into your computer on board the Enterprise, Lieutenant. That is all for now."

"Lieutenant," Sisko added, "as long as you are going to be here for a while, you might as well be more comfortable. There is much that Captain Picard and I have to discuss. The promenade has a much more relaxed atmosphere than this stuffy old office."

"Again, thank you, Captain. However, I am eager to get on with my duties as one of the Enterprise's newest security personnel."

"That's very commendable, Lieutenant Tola." Picard said. "But, since some of the components of the transporter that were damaged need to be replaced, it looks like we won't need your services for a little while. Please feel free to enjoy yourself. You will find Deep Space Nine to be a very interesting place."

Sisko was looking over her shoulder at a passing woman in a green and brown uniform.

"Jadzia" He called.

Dax paused at the open door and looked from one to the other in mild curiosity.

"Yes, sir?"

"Will you please show Lieutenant Tola to the promenade? We two captains have some business to discuss."

"Certainly, Benjamin. Follow me, please."

Tola had turned to see who Sisko was addressing and knew almost right away that her new guide was a Trill. She found the mind of Jadzia Dax very interesting, indeed. With a polite bow to the two captains, Tola left the office with Dax.

The two alien women found a table in Quark's bar. The Ferengi soon saw that he had customers and approached with a wide, almost shark-like grin.

"What'll it be, ladies?"

"Andorian tea, Quark. My treat for our guest here."

"A very good choice, Lieutenant." He gushed. "It is not often I have the pleasure of serving two females of such beauty and poise."

"If you are looking for a tip, Quark, here's a hot one for you. Get our drinks or I will erase all of your x-rated holosuite programs."

Normally, Quark would have replied with 'You wouldn't dare!', but he suddenly felt ill-at-ease without knowing why. Much to Tola's amusement, he left rather abruptly to get their drinks.

As Tola finally materialized aboard the Enterprise, she saw Captain Picard standing near the controls. She read in his mind that he had arranged a meeting with several of his staff concerning their new mission. He wanted to save Mr. Charles Evans from an untimely death at the hands of the Q. It was a tall order, to be sure. First officer Riker was there, too. He seemed to take quite a liking to her, which made her a little uncomfortable, but she didn't let herself show it. The two human men led her to the nearest briefing room on the observation deck. Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Worf were already there waiting for them. Tola could read in the counselor's mind that she already had acquainted herself with the historical facts concerning Mr. Evans. She recalled that the Q told her that Charles once lived on Thasus.

The captain spoke first.

"Everyone, now that we are leaving DS9, we are freer to discuss the issue at hand. Something has been discovered on Thasus that is of immense historical importance. It is also so incredible that whatever I will tell you must stay within this room. After almost a century, we have discovered evidence of an extremely powerful transporter device on Thasus. Deanna, you have had the chance to review the historical records. Please fill the rest of the crew present in on what this means."

"Yes, sir. The planet Thasus is inhabited by non-corporeal beings, and was once the home of an enigmatic young man named Charles Evans. Also, this new development means that this planet has been the hideout of the even more mysterious human named Gary Seven. If that is true, this would be the most incredible find of this century."

"Come to find out, Seven's planet was right under our noses, not hidden as previously thought. There is something more about this planet. Tola?"

"Yes, Captain. The being Q appeared to me in the shuttle craft Galileo III, and told me about this man named Evans. He did not tell me very much, however; just that he wanted to kill him."

"I see. As some of you may or may not be aware of, Thasus is the home of beings who adopted and kept prisoner a human male named Charles Evans. Evans' real parents were killed when their vessel crash-landed on Thasus. Evans was only three years old at the time of the crash. Charles grew up with these entities and escaped once when he was seventeen. There is something I neglected to mention here. The Thasians gave young Charles certain…gifts…to help him survive. They included molecular transformation, telekinesis, invisibility, and telepathy. Now here's the scary part: Shortly after he was recaptured by the Thasians, Charles discovered the Q continuum. They offered him a life free of the restraints imposed on him by the Thasians. He apparently jumped at the chance without thinking it through and became a Q. Soon after that, he apparently destroyed his Thasian foster parents, and went on a quest to find his one true love: a young woman he met while he was on Captain Kirk's Enterprise. We believe that he does not know how much time has passed since then."

"What has Mr. Evans got to do with Mr. Seven?" Riker asked.

"I was getting to that, Mr. Riker. Seven and his assistant Miss Lincoln were supposedly killed when Evans discovered their headquarters and ransacked it. He escaped via their transporter."

"The historical accounts also indicate that Seven's transporter was also capable of moving objects and people through time." Troi added.

"Correct, Deanna. Your job is to find him, find some way to strip him of his Q powers, and transport him to Colony Five, where he can live out the remainder of a human lifespan in peace. We also have to keep him from reaching Yeoman Rand, if we can. That's the woman he met on NCC-1701."

"That's a tall order, Captain." Riker said. "How are we going to accomplish this?"

"That's where I come in, fuzz face." Answered an all-too-familiar voice from behind their new security officer.

Picard sighed.

"Q, I wish you would stop popping in and out like that. It's very unnerving. At any rate, ladies and gentlemen, the Q is right. He knows where Evans is and can take his powers from him with ease. Counselor Troi, what is your expert opinion on this?"

"This will no doubt be a difficult assignment, Captain, not only for the crew, but for Charles as well. He has probably grown accustomed to his powers by now and may feel lost without them. Also, I do not think he should be kept from Rand, if his love for her is as strong as I think it might be. We could cause serious psychological trauma to him."

"What about serious psychological trauma for Rand?" Worf asked.

"Although it was true that Rand became frightened of him when he first began to manifest his Thasian powers, I do not think she will be frightened of him now. She may take pity on him." Troi answered.

"I have done a bit of research on this vile little creature myself." Interrupted the Q casually. "Rest assured, that lowly little yeoman will come to no harm as long as I'm around."


	3. Chapter 3

The Return of Charlie Evans—chapter 3

Lieutenant Tola spent the remainder of that afternoon in her quarters, poring over the historical files about Seven and Evans. She began to feel a profound sympathy for Charlie, despite the accounts of his misdeeds aboard Kirk's Enterprise, and couldn't help but wonder just what kind of a person he really turned out to be. Neither she or Troi believed Q's assertions about him being a murderer. In fact, the more they studied Evans' personality profile by Doctor McCoy, the more they were convinced that he was most likely a victim of circumstance and a tragic casualty of history. Tola couldn't help feeling that it was extremely likely that the Q was lying and hiding certain facts from the crew of the Enterprise. She thought that the Q was the most rude, arrogant, self-serving, self-righteous jerk she had ever met. Why was he bothering with such a hapless castaway? Also, judging from the historical files on Seven, the mysterious intergalactic secret agent appeared quite capable of defending himself, as did the Thasians. Non-corporeal beings are not easy to kill. Something was fishy about Q's version of what had transpired on Thasus, preceding the discovery of the time transporter by the Federation. Tola was about to recall information about the Q continuum when she was interrupted by her door buzzer.

"Enter" she responded, switching off her desk computer. She sensed that her visitor was also new to the ship and was curious about her. She was also picking up random thoughts about security matters as the gentleman stepped through her threshold.

He was a somewhat nervous middle-aged human male in a red uniform with two pips on his collar. He approached her and offered her a hand, wanting her to shake it. _'A peculiar human custom',_ she thought, but she obliged. She read in his thoughts that he had just transferred over from the star ship Hermes, having been their chief of security and that his name was Vickers. He was slight of build, but wiry. He had a handsome, intelligent face, wavy dark brown hair, which was parted to her left, and he spoke with a distinct British accent.

"Lieutenant Tola, it's so good to meet you. My name is Vickers. Am I disturbing you?"

"Not at all, Mr. Vickers. I was expecting Mr. Worf, but it is always nice to meet someone new."

"Worf sent me here. The captain wants him on the planet once we arrive. I'm supposed to accompany the away team once they are chosen for this mission." She read in his mind that he thought her red uniform clashed with her blue skin. She chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose it does, Mr. Vickers."

"Alistair, if you please. I don't stand on formalities." She sensed that he was a little taken aback by her telepathic ability. He, of course, had read everything he could about Andorians in general and her in particular, but did not realize until that moment how amazing her mental gifts were. He decided to ask her if she checked for listening devices, for the information he was about to give to her was meant for her only.

"Very well, Alistair. There are no listening devices around here. I have already made a thorough check. What is it you wish to discuss?"

"First off, Lieutenant, this is the first time I have had the privilege of meeting a female Andorian. Are all of you telepathic?"

She smiled.

"Not all of us are. I am a rarity. I was born with super sensitive antennae, which are able to pick up minute electrical impulses from most minds I encounter." She stood and went to her replicator. "May I offer you some refreshment?" Tola inquired, looking back at him in her peripheral vision. "Some tea, perhaps?"

"Thank you, yes. That would be lovely. It is approaching 16:30 hours. I find that one cannot easily maintain the tradition of afternoon tea while on duty. Tell me, Tola. Have you visited Earth?"

"No, sir, but I have studied some of your cultures. Yours is British, is it not?"

Vickers nodded in the affirmative and watched as she ordered his tea. He wondered if she would get anything for herself. A few seconds after handing his cup of Earl Gray to him, noting that the captain's favorite was the same, she went back and ordered some Eminian Trova. It was an interesting choice for an Andorian and he wondered then how she came to know of this rather obscure beverage.

"In answer to your unvoiced question, Alistair, I studied the historical account of the peace treaty of Eminiar Seven and Vendikar. I was merely curious about the drink that Mr. Anon offered Captain Kirk. When I tried it for the first time, I liked it very much, and, of course, the rest is history, no pun intended. Sir, I see in your mind that you still have some misgivings about me. May I ask the source of those qualms?"

Vickers blushed.

"It's just that…I heard about your extra year at the academy. Speaking strictly as a part of the security staff on this vessel, was it your intention to deceive your instructors?"

"Not at all, sir." She said with a smile, taking a sip of her Trova. "I had no notion to deceive. At first, all of my instructors were non-telepathic humans—the easiest group of people to read for me. I just naturally assumed that everyone was aware of my telepathic gifts."

"I see." Vickers responded with an amused smile of his own. "I suppose you are wondering why the Enterprise was chosen for this mission."

"Among other things."

"As you might be aware of, the Enterpise was the first ship to encounter all of the entities involved. I think we were chosen mostly because of that, even though Mr. Evans wouldn't know 1701-D's crew. As you can tell, it was bound to happen that the good ship Enterprise would continue to historically affect the whole fleet in one way or another."

"Fascinating, to coin a phrase. Tell me, sir. What exactly is your impression of the Q?"

"I think he's a liar and a sneak. He obviously plays by his own rules and is not always fair and impartial. I dare say I trust him as far as I could throw a shuttle craft."

"You and I are of the same opinion, Alistair. Do you have any idea on what we will find when we reach Thasus?"

"Details are pretty sketchy, but it has been reported that the transporter discovered is in perfect condition, but everything else is in a shambles. I, for one, found that report to be a bit odd."

"There are many things that are odd about this mission." Tola mused thoughtfully.

It was a three-day journey to mysterious Thasus, and, from all appearances, not very eventful. The crew was thankful that the Q hadn't made any more appearances since that time in the Enterprise briefing room. Nobody liked him or trusted him. Troi also still didn't believe that Evans killed the enigmatic Mr. Seven and his assistant of yesteryear.

Picard watched as Thasus finally appeared on the main view screen, from all appearances as a dry, lifeless ball of sand. They all knew differently, however. This world had long been classified as an off-limits planet, like Talos Four, or more recently, the planet where the skin of evil resided, and where poor Tasha Yar, the Enterprise-D's former security chief, had met her demise.

Deanna Troi detected the tension building on the bridge as the captain ordered a standard orbit. Navigator Tate glanced back at the captain with uncertainty. Troi could read her emotions to be simple curiosity, mixed with a genuinely understandable fear of the unknown. Of course, Tate had encountered worse, but not knowing what to expect if they should encounter the non-corporeal life forms would be enough to make anyone a little edgy. Picard decided then that this young woman would be a part of the away team to the surface.

"Life readings, Mr. Data." Picard requested.

"Indeterminate, Captain, because of the nature of this planet's inhabitants."

"Understood, Lieutenant. I think they may be wary of us as well as we are of them." Picard stood, straightened his jacket, and still gazed at the buff-colored globe on the main viewer. "Well, people, we have a job to do. The landing party will consist of Mr. Riker, Mr. Data, Lieutenant Vickers, Ensign Tate, and Lieutenant Tola."

"Sir?" Tate squeaked in astonishment.

"A look at the unknown, Miss Tate. I think you could do with another one."

Tate blushed and mumbled a 'yes, sir'.


	4. Chapter 4

The Return of Charlie Evans-Chapter 4

Yeoman Janice Rand sat nervously in Dr. Noel's office. She had gone to her instead of McCoy because she felt that this new problem she faced would get her, at the very least, a Section Eight. It all started last week, a year to the day when Charlie Evans vanished off the Enterprise Bridge. She hadn't thought of him for six months, but, for some reason, soon after the excursion to Miri's planet, she started to see him everywhere. The last straw came that morning. He appeared, fully clothed, in her shower! She told him to get lost or he, real or not, would be singing soprano permanently. He giggled and vanished.

Dr. Helen Noel came through the door, psych tricorder in hand. She took one look at her patient, and wondered what she was doing there. Could it be that she still hadn't gotten over the evil duplicate Kirk's attempted rape? Or, perhaps it had been something to do with her recent experience on the other planet Earth. Whatever it was, the yeoman looked flustered and worried.

"Hello, Yeoman." She greeted warmly. "What can I do for you today?"

"Hi, Doctor. I hardly know how to begin."

Noel sat in an easy chair and faced her patient. She had recently become Starfleet's first certified ship's counselor. She knew from Janice's demeanor that this problem could be a serious one, and that she would have to keep what was said in the room in the strictest confidence, unless whatever it was presented a danger to the ship in some way. Rand's nervousness was infectious.

"Well, beginning at the beginning usually helps."

"All right." She took a deep breath. "I think I'm going crazy. I keep seeing Charlie Evans everywhere!"

"Who?"

"Oh, I forgot. You were not on the ship yet at the time. He was a young man with Thasian powers."

"Oh, yes. I read about him. An interesting case study." Noel paused, concerned. "You are seeing him everywhere?"

"Yes. The first appearance was right after I beamed aboard after returning from Earth Number Two. The crew was due for shore leave. I entered my quarters after a long hard day, was just about to read a novel on my computer, when he appeared behind the viewer."

"Did he say anything?"

"Yes. He said 'Help me, Janice' and disappeared."

"Was he solid, or could you see through him?"

"He seemed to be as real as you or I."

"Well…it sounds to me as if that experience affected you more than you realized, Janice."

"That's just it, Doctor! I thought I had gotten over him six months ago!"

"Janice, people don't get over someone like that that fast. Have you ever heard of traumatic stress disorder? Sometimes, after something profoundly emotional or disturbing happens, like your experience on Miri's planet, it triggers memories of another highly stressful event."

Janice shook her head.

"This wasn't a memory, Doctor! I have heard of that disorder, and I am certain it's not that."

"But you say you think you're going crazy."

"She's not." A familiar voice interrupted. Rand gasped and Noel stood with astonishment. She was about to reach for the intercom to call the captain for the intruder alert alarm. The young man waved a hand and she found she couldn't reach the controls. He then began to morph into a young woman. She smiled benignly and looked at the other two women with compassion. "Hello, Miss Rand. Because my Evans disguise wasn't working, I decided to appear to you as I really am. My name is Amanda Rodgers, and I am a Q."

"Wh—what is a Q?" Janice asked anxiously, watching as the mysterious intruder waved her hand again and broke the spell which had been holding Dr. Noel.

"We are the parent race of the Thasians. Some of us consider ourselves more advanced, but not me. I have come to ask you for your assistance in locating and protecting Charlie Evans. He is in trouble."

"I have never heard of you, Miss Rodgers." Noel said.

"I'm not surprised. I am from the twenty-fourth century."

"Charlie is in trouble in the next century?" Rand asked.

"Yes. One of the head Q's wants to kill him."

"Why?"

"Because, when Charles became of age, he also chose to become a Q. It was a foolish mistake, since this other Q wanted Evans to do what he wanted him to do. Charles just wanted to be free. The Thasians understood that, but could do nothing but hold the other Q in a stasis field on Thasus while Charles left via our time transporter to an undisclosed location. My job is to find him and take his Q powers away from him before the other escapes."

"This is deep." Noel whispered. "Can I do anything?"

The young woman named Amanda Rodgers shook her head no.

"There are already people in the next century to assist us on the star ship Enterprise-D. I am here to ask you to accompany me, Yeoman."

"It's an interesting offer, but I can't go AWOL."

"You don't need to." With another wave of her hand, she produced an exact double of Yeoman Janice Rand.

"Captain Kirk won't even know you've gone." The double said with a wink. "Dr. Noel, would you mind keeping this under wraps?"

Noel studied the double for a moment. She was exact in every detail.

"Will the double be able to pull this off? I'm game if you are, Janice Number One."

The landing party materialized at one end of a huge long corridor, which was lined with machinery on both sides as far as the eye could see. They were all expecting the place to look like a cyclone went through it, but all seemed neat and orderly, with no sign of a scuffle or a fight. Either the Federation people who preceded them went on a cleaning jag, or the Q had lied. Tola suspected it was the latter, as did the rest of the away team. She sensed a strong presence in the vicinity. They were being watched intently. Tola could detect strong emotions. One was immense rage. That emotion was quite close. Others were senses of urgency and fear, coupled with an uneasy feeling of satisfaction.

Riker and Tate took out their tricorders. For the ensign, it was standard procedure to record everything that went on during their visit here. She half wondered if Starfleet really wanted to know. The group separated. Vickers accompanied Tola as Riker, Data and Tate examined the myriad dials, lights and switches lining the walls.

Data soon discovered a door within a niche. It was made of some sort of metal that defied analysis. The door was seamless, but light could be seen seeping through the bottom. There did not appear to be any recognizable mechanism for opening or closing.

"Everyone," he called, "there is something interesting over here. There is some kind of doorway."

They all quickly responded. Commander Riker examined the door ruefully.

"Can you find a way in?" He asked, inwardly uncertain whether or not he wanted to explore what lay beyond. Then, he considered that that was one of the main reasons that Starfleet sent ships out into space. Tola and Vickers stepped forward, their weapons set on stun. They were all still being scrutinized by unseen eyes and it was beginning to work on the nerves of all of them. Tola still sensed the rage emotion, and surmised but couldn't prove yet that it was probably the Q.

"Commander Riker," Tate asked uneasily. "Wouldn't it be prudent to ask the Thasians if we could enter before busting in? After all, it is their planet."

"A point well taken, Ensign. Tola, are you able to contact them telepathically?"

"I will try, sir. Do not be alarmed if I appear to lose consciousness." She said, sitting down beside the door. "Their telepathy will probably be very strong." She closed her eyes and concentrated. At first, she was overwhelmed. A flood of fear and questions drowned out her own thoughts and queries. In a few moments, though, she regained control, and, after sorting out all the emotions and thoughts, Tola found that the Thasians were the ones who were watching the away team. The Q, amazingly, was bottled up in the transporter mechanism. There was urgency in the Thasians' mental processes. They made it clear that they could not hold the Q for long, so the away team would have to find Evans in five days. They also told her what was behind the metal door and that the Q was unable to pick up anyone's thoughts in his suspended animation prison.

Tola opened her eyes to see the rest of the landing party standing around her. Riker and Vickers offered her a hand as she stood and brushed herself off.

"The door is voice activated, and only a certain speech pattern will open it." Tola announced. "The Thasians have instructed me to say a peculiar phrase from ancient Earth mythology." She turned back to the door. "Oh mighty Isis."

The door opened with a soft swish. A lovely and rather large black cat with a diamond-studded collar peered at them from a crouched position. It growled a greeting, stood, and took a step backward, as if bidding them to enter.

"Tola and I both have our phasers set on stun, Mr. Riker. There might be dangers within." Vickers said.

The cat went on ahead of them and Tola smiled.

"Any animal as well maintained as that feline would not be in danger, but it is a wise precaution, Alistair."

"However, do firing on my orders only." Riker said. "Understood?"

"Of course, Commander."

The cat paused and looked at Riker with obvious disdain, as if it understood what they were saying. It raised its head regally, and padded ahead of them without a backward glance.


	5. Chapter 5

The Return of Charlie Evans-Chapt 5

Yeoman Rand was still studying her double.

"I don't know…." She said. "The captain is pretty perceptive."

"Yes, he is." Said Janice Number Two. "Don't worry about a thing, Janice. Everything will be all right. Kirk won't even know you are gone. He thinks the business with Charlie is over, right? Let him go on thinking that. I certainly won't tell him I'm not you."

"Doctor Noel?" Rand addressed the psychiatrist worriedly.

"Don't fret. I won't tell him anything. After all, it will be like you never left anyway."

"All right, it's settled then. Thank you for your cooperation, Doctor." Amanda said. With that, the real Janice and the Q vanished in a flash of light, much to the psychiatrist's astonishment.

Moments later, Rand found herself in a large room filled with machinery. There were people working at stations around the room. One of them turned and stood to greet them. She was of a race Rand had never seen before. The young woman had long light brown hair. Her face was quite human-like, except for one minor difference. Ridges lined the bridge of her nose. The yeoman then caught sight of the newly arrived Starfleet officers at the other end of the room. She then gasped and turned a little pale when she saw a Klingon, curiously peering over the shoulder of a young human woman. Tola sensed her fear and concern and stepped forward.

"Welcome to Thasus and the twenty-fourth century, Yeoman Rand. I am Lieutenant Tola of the Enterprise-D, and this is our away team."

"And the Klingon in the Starfleet uniform?" Rand asked warily.

"That is Lieutenant Worf, the Enterprise-D's head of security. The Klingons and the Federation have been at peace for about thirty years."

Rand decided it was best to try and avoid eye contact with Worf and to concentrate on the matter at hand.

"Let's get down to business then. Miss Rodgers, are you in charge here?"

"Oh, heavens no. I work for an intergalactic agency that is headed up by a human male named Gary Seven. The woman that Worf was standing behind is his assistant, Roberta Lincoln. I must warn you, Yeoman. You must keep his existence a secret from the original Enterprise crew. If you do not, history might be changed. Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew are not due to meet them yet. Mr. Seven will be here shortly to oversee our journey. Sito?" She addressed the alien girl Rand saw earlier. "Miss Sito is a Bajoran we rescued from a Cardassian Gul who was taking her back to his world to be a sex slave."

Riker and Data appeared to be quite astonished. Will stepped forward.

"Sito, we thought you were dead! How did you escape?"

"First, sir, it is very good to see you and Mr. Data. They sent my shuttle out by remote control with an explosive rigged to go off as soon as it reached the Federation border. Of course, Captain Picard couldn't enter Cardassian space to make sure I was really dead."

"Who are the Cardassians?" Rand asked. "Who is Picard?"

"It would take too long to explain, Miss Rand," Rodgers answered, "but I can tell you that Sito's world was invaded by them. Sito will be going with us. She and Charlie have become friends. Now, allow me to introduce the Enterprise-D's landing party. The gentleman with the beard and mustache is Commander Riker, the first officer. The funny-looking fellow with the golden eyes is Lt. Commander Data. He's an android. You have already met Tola. The others names are Tate and Vickers."

Each of the officers nodded as their names were mentioned. Rand's mind tried feverishly to remember who they all were. She thought Data looked unfinished. Androids in her time were much more human in appearance.

"There will be a quiz on their names later on, Yeoman." Tola joked. She knew the yeoman was a little confused, however, since time was at a premium, she could not explain everything to the twenty-third century yeoman. "We extraterrestrials will have to stay here and help mind the machinery. I have a feeling that where Charles is, no one has ever seen an alien before."

"Quite correct, Lieutenant" Amanda said graciously.

"If that's the case," Rand asked thoughtfully, "What are we going to do about Sito?"

"A little painless cosmetic surgery." Rodgers answered playfully. She waved a hand and Sito's ridges vanished.

In the twenty-third century, McCoy was concerned. Yeoman Janice Rand was not quite herself lately. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was different about her. She was the same as she always had been, but…different. Maybe it was his imagination, or maybe he was working too hard. After all, just because there was something to the way Spock was acting towards his Pon-Farr a month ago, didn't mean that there was something wrong with the yeoman. He sighed. He couldn't get the feeling out of his head. Rand seemed a little more business-like lately; in fact, downright Spockish. She also seemed a lot calmer and collected than her usual bubbly vivacious self. He watched her curiously as she entered the bridge from his usual spot behind the captain's chair. She went to the controls at the engineering section without looking back at anyone, knelt, and opened the service duct underneath the console. She held a tool for close work in her hand and began working on fine tuning the console. They had been having trouble lately with a tiny short, and Scott has assigned her to look for the trouble and correct it. McCoy was unaware that Kirk knew that he was staring at her until the captain spoke.

"What's the matter, Bones?" The captain asked, puzzled by his undue interest in his yeoman.

"Oh…nothing, Captain."

"Come on, Doctor. I know you better than that. What's on your mind?"

"Do you have a moment, Jim? I need to talk to you in private."

"Of course." James Kirk rose from his chair and looked at Spock, who was studying readouts from his hooded viewer. "Mr. Spock, you have the con for a few minutes. I will be in Briefing Room One."

"Acknowledged" The Vulcan said affably. He, too, had a distinct impression that there was something strange about Rand. Like McCoy, he could not figure out what it was.

The two remained silent in the turbo lift, but, as soon as the doors parted, McCoy could no longer keep his concerns to himself.

"Jim, have you noticed that Rand has been acting strangely?"

"No, not really." The captain answered as they stepped into the briefing room. He studied the doctor's expression for a moment. "Is that what this is about?"

"Yes. Ever since she had that talk with Counselor Noel, she has not been the same."

"Explain."

"I can't . There is something different about her. Something I can't quite put into words."

"Bones, I don't have time for this. Now, unless there is a medical concern about Janice—she isn't pregnant, is she?"

"Gosh, no! At least…I don't think she is. I would have to examine her to make sure, but I know she isn't involved with someone at present. I don't know, Jim. Maybe I'm working too hard."

"Come to think of it" Kirk thought hard for a moment. "She has been quite unemotional lately. Maybe it's a phase. She might be trying to emulate Spock—you know, like Chekov."

"Yes, that could be it." McCoy smiled. "I will ask Noel. She knows more about what's going on with your yeoman than either of us. It could be that she is trying to be a little less high-strung. Thank you, Captain. I will let you know what Noel says."


	6. Chapter 6

The Return of Charlie Evans-Chapt.6

Gary Seven had materialized within a Thasian transporter alcove after two attempts. Riker and Tate offered their services to correct an apparent imbalance in the system. Seven reminded them all that the transporter system was far more sophisticated than the type used on star ships, but he thanked them anyway. He said it took quite an effort to keep the Q bottled up, and that was why there appeared to be a difficulty when it came to beaming. Tola could still sense the Q being's rage at being trapped in the buffer, so she surmised that he was probably attempting to escape. Seven agreed with her assessment. She told him that she was glad that Miss Lincoln and he were not really dead.

It was now time for Amanda, Vickers, Rand and Sito to step into the transporter themselves. Riker and Tate decided to remain with the extraterrestrial crewmembers to assist Seven and Lincoln with maintaining control of the transporter and ensuring that the Q would not escape.

The four materialized on an empty small town main street. It appeared to be a scene from the mid to late nineteen sixties on planet Earth. Amanda quickly spotted a newspaper vending machine and approached it, then determined that the date was September eighth, 1967. Judging from the position of the sun overhead, Rand figured that it was about noon. She would have to check a clock to make sure. She glanced at Rodgers, who appeared to be reading her mind.

With a wave of her hand, Amanda transformed their Starfleet uniforms into period costumes. Vickers felt and looked a little silly in a goatee, beads and Roman sandals. He also had on a rather flashy Nehru jacket and striped trousers that clashed. The women smiled with muted amusement, noting that Riker was wearing a tie-dyed T- shirt and rather shabby-looking bell-bottom jeans. He still had his Starfleet issue boots on his feet. He saw how amused they looked, and then pointed out the silly ensembles they were blessed with. All of the women were wearing mini-skirts and peasant blouses, their feet and legs adorned with white go-go boots and fishnet stockings. Rand sighed. Her outfit was not too different than the sexist uniform she usually wore. Some things never change, she observed wryly. She glanced back at Rodgers and asked where this was. Amanda studied the displayed newspaper for the answer.

"We are standing in front of a newspaper office. The publication is called The Daily Communicator. According to the top of the page, this town is called Kirkdale and is in the state of Minnesota." Amanda turned to face Rand on another issue as she smiled at Charlie's choice of a town name. "I suppose you are wondering why I appeared to you in your shower."

Rand stared at her in disbelief.

"That was you?" She paused as Rodgers nodded. "Yeah. I was wondering about that." Janice answered with another blush, hearing the men chuckling.

"It was a miscalculation on my part. I still haven't got the hang of teleportation and sometimes materialize in the wrong place."

"Well," Riker said with a smile, "I'm hoping that you brought us to where Evans is hiding."

"Me too" Rand said. "What about the other appearances? Were they all you in disguise too?"

"All but one. Charlie did manage to appear to you for real behind your tri-screen in your quarters. The rest of the appearances were all me."

Sito surveyed their new surroundings with interest.

"So, this is twentieth century Earth. Where do we go from here?"

Rodgers studied a gadget Seven had given her. It was sort of like a homing device that detected Thasian and Q powers. Since Charles rarely used his gifts anymore, it was very hard to get a clear reading.

"He's a block away, in an eating establishment."

"I see it." Rand said. "It's less than a block away, if I remember old-style measurements." She paused, and studied the sign for a moment, and then smiled with amusement. "Leave it to Charlie to pick a restaurant called Jim's Café."

"Why is that?" Vickers asked curiously.

"Because Charlie thought of Captain Kirk as a father figure. It is apparent that he still does in some small way." She paused and looked at her companions. "Let's go. Charlie needs our help."

They crossed the street at the light and walked until they got to the café. They entered quietly. Amanda was suddenly concerned that she had dressed her comrades a little too loudly for such a tiny town. Everyone around them appeared to be much more conservative, and they could hear comments like 'dirty hippies!' They did seem to elicit a lot of stares of apparent disapproval. However, no one said a word to them as they searched the room with their eyes. They didn't dare use a tricorder. Anyway, Amanda seemed to know just where he was.

Evans heard them approach and sighed. He did not look up from his coffee and sandwich. It seemed like everyone who approached him lately thought he was the son of some movie star he had never heard of. This time, he would beat them to the punch.

"No, I'm _not _Robert Walker, Jr.!"

"We didn't say you were." Janice replied with amusement.

Charlie started, recognizing the voice instantly. He had been gazing into a half-empty cup of coffee. They had just broken his concentration, so it would be very difficult to pay the check now.

"Janice! How-?"

"No time to explain, kiddo. The Q is bottled up in Seven's transporter. He won't remain there for long." She turned to her new friends. "This is Amanda—"

"Of course, I remember. She and I met when the Thasians rescued Sito from those Cardassian swines. You are a Q too, if I remember correctly."

"That's right, Charlie" Amanda answered. "But I'm a good Q. The man who also calls himself a Q wants to kill you."

"I know. Who are your other friends?"

"The man in the Nehru jacket is Alistair Vickers, the one in the tie-dyed shirt is William Riker, and the other gal is Miss Sito."

"Oh, yes. I did not recognize her without her ridges. Nice work, by the way, Amanda."

As Rodgers smiled, Rand asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

"What are you doing on twentieth century Earth, Charlie?"

"I wanted to pick the most remote place that I could. Since Earth in this time period is considered off- limits by most civilized beings in the galaxy, it seemed the ideal spot."

"Why this little town?" Vickers asked.

"I just picked up an atlas when I could make a suitable facsimile of money, closed my eyes, flipped a few pages, and pointed to it at random."

"You mean you make counterfeit money?" Riker asked in surprise.

"Shh. Not so loud. I had to survive somehow. I don't have very many job skills, you know."

"No, I guess you don't." Rand smiled. "You do have an advantage over ordinary humans, though."

"Yes, I suppose I do. I know why you all have come here, and it's not that Janice took pity on me. I was such a…what do they call it here...a rat fink when I was on the Enterprise." He looked up into Rand's eyes with a sad expression. "Janice, if you should ever bump into Yeoman Tina Lawton, would you please tell her I'm sorry?"

"Sure, Charlie. What about the other women?"

"Them too. There is a place nearby where we can go without being observed. I have an apartment across from a car dealership in a building called the Blue Goose. It is not very far from here." He stood. "Let's get out of here. There is no time to lose. I am sure that the Q will soon escape and come gunning for me."

"What about your bill?"

"I'm afraid I will have to sneak out." Charlie whispered. "Your arrival messed up my concentration."

"Let me help, then." Amanda offered. She opened her right palm and some very authentic dollar bills materialized in it. Evans was amazed. It had taken him weeks to perfect his funny money. When he first arrived in the tiny town, he was quite confused about the local currency. He had never seen Canadian money before. It took him a few days to discover that he should be producing American currency.


	7. Chapter 7

The Return of Charlie Evans- Chapter 7

Riker, Vickers, Rand, Sito , Amanda and Charlie walked out of Jim's café. They picked up their pace a bit when Amanda reminded the others that time was of the essence. They made it to the Blue Goose apartment building and quickly charged up the stairs.

"The nice thing about Thasian powers is that you don't need a key." Charlie said, pointing a finger at the lock. It clicked and the door opened.

"Hey, Charlie," Rand said with amazement, "You could make a good living as a locksmith if you decide to stay here in this little town."

Charlie grinned.

"Wow, I never thought of that."

"Charlie, about your powers," Amanda addressed him with concern. "I am here to take your Q powers away so the man who is, hopefully, still in Seven's buffer, won't be able to track you."

"I don't think there is anything beyond his capabilities, Amanda. You have the ability to remove my Q powers? I never knew that."

She nodded.

"There is one thing that has me worried." Rand said softly. "If his Q powers are taken from him, wouldn't that affect him in some way?"

"I doubt it, Yeoman. But, if you are concerned, I can always bring Dr. Crusher here. There is little risk of anyone walking in on us here, unless…" She glanced back at Evans. "…You have paid your rent for the month, haven't you, Charlie?"

"Yes."

"Very good." She waved her hand. A very astonished chief medical officer of the Enterprise-D appeared before them, and then quickly regained her composure.

"Will, what am I…?" Crusher started to ask the first officer, and then she noticed Amanda and Sito standing beside him. "Amanda and…are you Sito?" She asked in astonishment.

The Bajoran girl nodded.

"It is good to see you again, Dr. Crusher. I was rescued by Amanda's people."

"The Q actually did a good thing? I'm impressed. Why am I here?"

"We need your opinion, Doctor." Will said. "Let's assume for a moment that Mr. Evans here has become dependant on his Q powers. Would it hurt him if we took them away?"

"I suppose that depends on how much power will be taken from him. Will his Thasian abilities remain intact?"

"Yes."

"Since Mr. Evans—"

"Please don't call me that. I never liked it." Charlie interrupted again.

"My apologies, sir. As I was saying, Charles has had his Thasian powers a lot longer than his Q powers. His system has probably become quite dependant on them. If we were to make him fully human again, he would not survive. However, in my professional opinion, taking away his Q powers will in no way harm him."

"Thank you, Doctor. I will return you to the Enterprise-D now." Beverly Crusher nodded and vanished with another wave of Amanda's hand.

"Just out of historical curiosity, Mr. Seven," Tola asked as she and Worf aided the mysterious man with the machinery, "What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Evans?"

Seven smiled tensely.

"You want to update your files?"

"Something like that. For us, it has been almost a century since we last heard from this sector."

"Well, young lady, I suppose you could say that I am Charlie's surrogate parent. At least, that's been my role since he faded off the original Enterprise Bridge. When the Thasians recaptured him, he was understandably very unhappy about his predicament. Here he was, mostly still human, among beings he couldn't even talk to. The Thasians felt that I could be of some help in that department."

"Were you?"

"I believe so. He is still pretty uncomfortable being around people his own kind, but, as his guide, I have steered him mostly in the right direction. He still has small personality quirks that need to be worked out, but, he is a lot more capable of conducting himself properly among other humans. That's why I think the Thasians decided to let him go on a trial basis, at first. They only recently let him stay on twentieth century Earth for as long as he wanted. As long as he doesn't hurt anyone, he can stay there. However…Tola…the moment he gets cocky, they will whisk him back here where he will stay indefinitely. He's kept on a pretty tight leash."

"They are watching him now?"

"Yes. They also know what he is thinking at this moment."

Charlie knew he didn't have much time. He had to devise a way to escape the Q, and, at the same time, save his own life and the life of his companions, especially Janice. He felt it was very sweet of her to come to his rescue, even though she couldn't really do anything. Just seeing her again made him happy. He looked into her lovely face, and then thought of a clever deception. He hated doing this to her, but there appeared to be no other choice. He also knew that Amanda was still somewhat of a novice when it came to being a Q. This had to be good. He had to thoroughly convince everyone in the room that he was dying. He braced himself for when Amanda started to withdraw the Q energy from him.

He gasped and his eyes bugged out. Then, clutching his head in apparent agony, he screamed and collapsed. As a human with Thasian powers, he could fake his own death, if only for a few minutes. That was something of a lost art among the Q.

"_Charlie!" _Janice yelped, running to him and kneeling beside him, cradling his head, which really did hurt by now, on her lap. "Charlie, what is it? What's wrong?"

"It looks like Red was wrong…." He said weakly. "Goodbye, my beautiful darling…." With a convincing tear in his eye, he breathed a last breath.

Janice and the others stared into the dead face of Charlie Evans in shock. She started to cry. Desperately, she put her ear to his chest and heard…nothing. She continued to weep, as Vickers and the others looked helplessly on. There was nothing he or anyone else could do. They had come to the twentieth century for nothing.

The Q appeared abruptly and saw the grieving human woman. He was apparently too late…or, was he? He couldn't tell. He decided to take what he saw at face value for a moment. Sito was starting to do a Bajoran death chant over Evan's lifeless corpse. Riker and Amanda tried their best to console the inconsolable twenty-third century yeoman from the Enterprise. Riker felt the Q's presence and turned around.

"Are you happy now, you Regulan blood worm?" He growled. "The boy is dead, you creep! Have you come to gloat?"

"Actually, Riker, I am quite relieved that this whole sordid affair is over." The Q replied heartlessly.

Janice looked into the face of the man who would have killed Charlie. There was no feeling there at all, just cold calculation. Rage filled her. She stood and then attacked him.

Amanda saw a danger to the yeoman. The Q was very dangerous, but the human woman didn't seem to care what happened to her now. Amanda did, however, and quickly whisked her back to the original Enterprise.

The other Rand, who in reality was Isis the shape shifter, was on the bridge. McCoy and Spock, now both suspicious of her, were in Dr. Noel's office, when, suddenly, from out of nowhere, Janice appeared, enraged, her face tear-streaked. The Q had placed a gruesome-looking Klingon knife in her hand, just for kicks. She lunged, unseeing and uncaring, towards McCoy. Spock, who was standing behind her, dispassionately took her out with a neck pinch.


	8. Chapter 8

The Return of Charlie Evans-Chapter 8

Riker wordlessly knelt beside Charles Evans and gently closed his glazed, lifeless eyes. There was nothing much left to do. Sito was still chanting. He knew, of course, that the Bajoran death chant was over two hours long. He was curious as to why she was chanting over someone who wasn't Bajoran. _He must mean something to her,_ he thought. In death, Evans looked completely human. Tears involuntarily welled in his eyes. Tears of regret? Empathy for the intriguing twenty-third century yeoman? He sighed deeply and, like everyone else in the room, tried to keep his emotions in check. Perhaps it was a little of both.

He slowly stood and wiped the dust from the hard wood floor off his acquired jeans with his hands. The male Q, finally convinced of the young man's mortality, vanished to parts unknown, casually and callously thanking poor grief-stricken Amanda for her 'services'. He saw the honest hatred in her face when she told the other Q where to go. He merely smiled as he vanished.

Amanda lingered, looking like a lost child, bewildered and frightened—not at all like the virtually immortal and omnipresent being she was supposed to be.

"It's not your fault, Amanda." Will addressed her compassionately.

Amanda Rodgers did not answer immediately. It was her fault. She had done the male Q's dirty work….She had murdered another human being. She halted this thought, forgetting again that she was not human. Having lived as one for seventeen years, it was a hard habit to break. She looked into Riker's eyes and saw the grief in them; grief she unintentionally caused.

"I'm very sorry, Commander Riker." She whispered her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to kill him. Please believe that."

"We all do." Will answered without a moment's hesitation. He saw that the young woman needed some comforting. She started to cry as he crossed to her and put his arms around her.

"I'm so very sorry…." Amanda repeated, making no effort to keep her tears from streaming down her cheeks.

Riker held her tightly and kissed the top of her head tenderly.

"It was an accident. Besides, the blame rests solely on the male Q. If he hadn't had wanted Charlie dead, the kid would still be alive." He paused and glanced back at the corpse, then looked back at her with compassion. "What are we going to do with the body?"

He heard Sito gasp in astonishment and she quickly got off her knees. Looking back, he watched as Charlie miraculously stirred and sat up. They all stared at him for a long moment in disbelief. As if in a dream, Riker looked back at Amanda.

"Your doing?"

"No! I…."

Evans smiled wanly.

"Of course not, Mr. Riker. Amanda is not as practiced in the art of life and death. It was the Thasians. They helped me fake my death long enough to fool the male Q." He paused and scanned the drab little room. "Where's Janice?"

"I sent her back to the original Enterprise." Amanda answered. "Why did you pretend to die?"

"I had to get that blowhard off my back somehow. I also did it so he wouldn't try and kill any of you. Making myself look dead was the only way. He bought it, I take it."

"We all did!" Vickers said. "Hook, line, and sinker!"

"I see you are well versed in twentieth century slang, Mr. Vickers." Evans gave him a crooked little smile and stood effortlessly. The smile soon evaporated and was replaced by a puzzled frown. He felt different.

"What is it, Charlie?" Sito asked. She and Charlie had become good friends after she was rescued from a fate worse than death by the Thasians. She had promised him a genuine Bajoran funeral if the Q made good on his threat.

"I'm not sure. I…feel strange. Am I…human?"

The reply to this question did not come from any of the people present. It came from a wavering shadowy phantom; a Thasian.

"Yes, Charles. You are now fully human. Because you chose to sacrifice yourself for the good of others, we decided it would be best to return you to your own people. Humans may not be perfect, but you have great potential. Your race has grown from barbarism into maturity. You all still have much to learn, but we are not the ones to teach you. You will eventually develop into what we are in the eons to follow. Goodbye…Charles."

"Wait! Please!" Charlie begged. "Janice must know I'm alive!"

"She will know. Amanda…."

"Yes?"

"That task now befalls you, but, first, you must return the others back to where they belong."

"At once, sir!" Amanda said happily.

When Rand awoke from Spock's neck pinch, she felt as if every person she had ever loved had left her. She was numb—emotionally detached. She heard the voices around her asking her where she had been, but she could not bring herself to answer. Counselor Noel had asked to speak with the captain in private. Janice was quietly ordered to her quarters, after McCoy took the restraining straps off the diagnostic bed she had been lying on. They still wondered why she was brandishing a knife, but she seemed harmless now. Christine escorted her there, concern on her face. She never saw Janice in this kind of state before and it worried her. The yeoman looked worn and drained; listless and extremely sad. They had not received any information from her; just two words over and over again: "He died!" They could not find out who she was talking about. Not yet, anyway. Spock reluctantly offered a meld, but Noel voiced professional concerns against it. In her present state, it might do more harm than good. Also, it was against the Vulcan way to intrude upon a mind without consent. He would have to wait like everyone else for an explanation.

Kirk was a little peeved that he had been tricked with a fake yeoman. The other Janice had purportedly vanished from the bridge in a flash of light. The way the real Janice looked as she was led out of sickbay tugged at his heart strings. He had fought the urge to go with Chapel and confront Rand. Whatever had happened to her had not been pleasant. She was obviously grief-stricken.

'_He died!'_

The words echoed in his mind. Who died? Where had she gone? Why the double? Why the sneaking around? He was going to find out. He studied Noel's face. She knew something.

"Well?" He prompted. "You wanted to speak with me, Doctor?"

"Yes, sir. May I have permission to speak frankly, sir?"

"By all means." Kirk said, folding his arms, his eyes narrowing, not with anger, but with suspicion.

"A couple of days ago, an alien woman appeared to me from out of nowhere when I was conducting a counseling session with Janice. She called herself a Q. She said that Q's are an extension of the Thasian race—"

Kirk's eyes widened in surprise. So that was it!

"The Thasians? Does this, by any chance, have something to do with Charlie Evans?"

"You are way ahead of me, Captain. The head Q person wanted to kill Charlie and the woman, Amanda, enlisted Janice's help in attempting to keep him from harm. Obviously, they were not successful."

"Obviously. Why didn't she tell me? I would have given her personal leave. She didn't have to go AWOL—"

"Sir, she had the double appear so she wouldn't be counted as AWOL. Now, here's where I must speak freely. Janice and I have something in common."

"Oh? What?"

"You. We have both been the flavor of the month. Captain, this is me, speaking as a professional psychologist, now. Have you ever had a serious relationship with a woman?"

"I don't see where that's any of your—"

"I believe it is my business, sir. I have heard you have a woman in every port. I am beginning to believe that. Now, don't get me wrong, Captain. I know that, as a star ship captain, you don't have the luxury of long-term relationships. I know that most star ship captains are not supposed to get personally involved with members of their crews, but you invariably do anyway. In short, dear sir, you are an equal opportunity heart breaker. Janice felt as I do now—that you have grown so distant that you are virtually unreachable. Sir, physical attraction goes both ways. All women—all human beings—have needs. We need to feel like we are loved and appreciated."

Kirk said nothing, but his mind was racing. She was absolutely right. The strange part about it was that he had told Charlie essentially the same thing, and, here he was, forgetting that women were people with feelings, too.

After Chapel left her quarters, Janice threw herself on her bed and buried her head in the pillows. She sobbed for several minutes before she realized that someone was standing at the foot of her bed. Strange, she thought. She had not heard anyone enter her quarters. Collecting herself the best she could, she looked around the dimly lit room. Two figures were standing there. One waved a hand and her lights came on. She stared at them in disbelief. A hallucination?

Amanda and Charlie smiled at her.

"No, Janice, you aren't seeing things." Amanda answered her unvoiced question. "Charlie wasn't really dead."

"But…but he had no heartbeat!" She stammered, still gaping at them with wonder.

"Yes, I did, Janice, but I made it so you couldn't hear it." Evans explained gently.

Janice sat on the edge of her bed. Her legs did not seem to want to support her.

"Are you all right?" Charlie asked compassionately.

"I don't know." Janice admitted in a daze.

"I have come to tell you that Charlie is now fully human." Amanda said gently. "The Thasians let him go."

"But they told us that they couldn't let him go or take away his powers!"

"They lied." Charlie said. "They just wanted to study me some more, to find out more about humans. When I became eighteen, I was given the choice of staying with them or joining the Q continuum. I foolishly chose the latter, and it almost got me killed. Thanks to you and the others from the future, the Q thinks I'm dead. He won't bother me anymore."

"I'll see to that." Amanda said solemnly. "Janice, it's up to you, now. Charlie wants to go home—to Colony Alpha Five, where he can live the remainder of his human life span in peace."

"I will make sure he gets there. Thanks, Amanda."

Janice waited until the captain's inevitable visit, and she was ready for him. Charlie had made one last request of Amanda: that she give every woman on both Enterprises a single, long-stemmed pink rose to remember him by.

THE END


End file.
